The Combined opening ceremony of the 20th edition of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and 12th edition of Naval Officers Wives Association (NOWA) Soccer Tournaments which began on Sunday, 7th April, was rounded off on Saturday, 13th April 2024, at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu State.
The CNS was represented by the Fleet Commander Central Fleet Rear, Admiral NC Ekwom.
According to a statement by the Nigerian Navy, the tournaments have continued to contribute significantly to youth development nationwide, especially as the tournaments are hosted in different Nigerian cities annually and involve youth soccer teams from the entire country.
This year, 19 youth soccer teams from different states including; Abia, Abuja, Anambra, Ebonyi, Benue, Enugu, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Osun, Imo, Nasarawa, Rivers, and Kaduna participated.
The week-long 20th edition of the Chief Of the Naval Staff U-14 boys and NOWA U-17 girls football tournaments, which was rounded off on Saturday, was well attended by dignitaries from different walks of life.
The special Guest of Honour, the Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla was represented by Navy Secretary Rear Admiral Patrick Nwatu while the Chief of Air Staff was represented by Air Officer Commanding ground training command, Air vice Marshal UK Abdullahi as well as Commissioner for Youths and Sports Barrister Lloyd Ekweremadu who represented the Enugu State Governor Peter Mba, amongst others.
The final matches and the closing ceremony were colorful and remarkable. The event lived up to expectations as football enthusiasts could not hide their excitement.
The day was marked by tension as players and coaches were desperate to win the coveted trophies. After a serious battle, the Kogi boys team got a consolation. They defeated their Rivers State counterparts 1-0 to win the third-place match.
The NOWA girls’ final match was full of intrigues as the highly rated Ebonyi team disappointed their teaming supporters losing 4-0 to their Imo state counterparts thereby allowing them to lift the NOWA trophy for the first time.
Host Enugu boys came stronger and didn’t take things for granted. With the spiritual backing of their proprietor Reverend Father Mbaka, the 10-man Adoration Boys demolished their Abia opponents 5-0. The encounter was quite entertaining and the fans were on their toes throughout the match.
Abia’s team got a rude shock because despite putting in their best, they couldn’t survive the firepower of a team that had incomplete players. It was a celebration galore for the host after winning the male trophy and other individual awards.
While Nwodo Nicholas of Enugu won the best male goalkeeper of the tournament, Wisdom Boniface won the highest goal scorer and the most valuable player award with 6 goals. Imo’s Okpara Jacklin was the best female goalkeeper of the tournament.
Other numerous awards added colour to the Occasion. In all the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria YSFON is full of appreciation for the players and officials for contributing to the success of the tournaments. The Nigerian Navy also congratulated the Youths for their discipline and urged them to be focused and hard-working to ensure a formidable future for the country.
